Oven window-door



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United States Patent O 3,228,388 OVEN WINDOW-DGOR Vernon I. Mills, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., assigner to lvlills Iroducts, Inc., Walled Lake, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 361,983 1 Claim. (Cl. 126-200) This Iinvention relates to oven closures for cooking ovens and has particular reference to a window-door construction of the type disclosed in Mills Patent No. 3,127,890, issued April 7, 1964, for Oven Closure Construction.

According to the disclosure of such patent, the .oven closure is constructed essentially as a window in which a window unit is mounted and supported by a wraparound closure frame of channel-shaped cross section. The present invention provides certain improvements in this type of construction. According to my invention, a trim strip is itted around the peripheral edge of the closure frame and overlaps the outer exposed face thereof. This enhances the appearance of the door, gives the frame a more massive and substantial appearance, and recesses the glass panels inwardly of the front edge of the door. This makes it possible to provide a line of closures for different models of stoves merely by employing trim strips of dilferent appearance and coniiguration. The trim strips additionally may be employed in cooperation with the closure frame to secure an oven door seal around the inner face of the closure for cooperation with the oven when the closure is in its closed position. The trim strip is separate from the closure frame although mounted thereon, and is separated from the interior of the oven by the closure frame and the gasket so that the trim strip will not be heated to the same degree fas the closure frame.

A principal object of the invention therefore is to provide a new and improved window type closure for stove ovens.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure construction which readily lends itself to modiiication -in appearance so that by using the same basic closure construction and a series of trim strips, a line of closure of different `appearance may be obtained without duplication of tooling, except for that required for the trim strips.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive wiudow closure construction for ovens wherein the window is co-extensive with the oven opening and wherein use is made of a trim strip to give the door a deeper and more massive appearance than that provided by the basic construction of the closure.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claim and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets, which by way of illustration show preferred embodiments of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a closure embodying my invention, with parts broken away or shown in section to illustrate the construction;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

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FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic exploded view illustrating the principal components of the closure;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating a modified form of construction; and

FIGURE 7 is another sectional View similar to FIG- URE 3, and illustrating a further modified form of construction.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the closure essentially comprises a window unit 10, a closure frame 12 of channel-shaped cross section comprising the U-shaped frame member 14 and the removable side frame member 15, and a trim strip 16. The unit 10 and the frame 12 are generally made in accordance with the construction disclosed in said Mills patent wherein the glass panels 11 are secured within a clamping frame 13 and maintained in spaced relation by the spacer 18 as illustrated in FIG- URE 3. So far las the assembly of the panels 11, the spacer 18, and the frame 13 is concerned, the sectional view illustrated in FIGURE 3 is typical of Iany section taken through the glass panels and the frame 13, except at the corners.

The frame 13 is essentially a wrap-around type of frame like that shown in Mills Patent No. 3,021,832, issued February 20, 1962, for Stove Door Window Unit. Before the frame 13 is assembled to the glass panels 11 1and the spacer 18, a tape 20 of aluminum or other suitable sealing material is applied to the peripheral edges of the panels 11 and sealed thereto so as to seal the space between the panels 11. A tape 22 of asbestos or the like is pre-assembled to the frame 13 so as to provide a yieldable seat for the edges of the glass panels 11. The frame 13 includes laterally projecting flanges or ribs 24 which provide a seat on the frame 13 for the outer closure frame 12. The outer closure frame 12 is iitted around the periphery of the clamping frame 13 with the open side of the channel facing inwardly and with the clamping frame 13 nested within the closure frame 12,

'the flanges 24 of the clamping frame 13 being seated lupon the in-turned ends of the sides 26 and 28 of the closure frame 12.

The outer closure frame 12 is essentially of the construction illustrated in Mills Patent No. 3,127,890 and includes the U-shaped frame member 14 and the removable side 15. Thus the U-shaped frame member 14 may be telescoped over the side edges of the unit 1), and the removable side 15 of the frame 12 may then be applied to complete the frame 12. The side 15 carries angle brackets 30, the projecting ends 32 of which are inserted within the open end of the U-shaped frame member 14 and secured therein by screws 34. In addition to tying the two parts of the frame 12 together, the brackets 30 are each formed to provide a threaded boss 36, in each of which a hinge pin 38 is threadedly secured.

The trim -strip 16 preferably is made in a single piece as illustrated in FIGURE 5 and includes a flange or portion 40 adapted. to overlie the peripheral edge of the closure frame and a bead or hollow section 42 which is arranged to foverlie the outer exposed face 26 of the closure frame. The trim strip 16 may be secured to the closure frame 12 by a series of blind rivets 44. The trim strip may be made as a die casting as illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 6, or as a rolled section of sheet metal, such as stainless steel, as illustrated in FIGURE 7. In any event, the trim strip 16 overlies and conceals the outer peripheral edge of the closure frame and a portion of the outer exposed face 26. Preferably the hollow section 42 extends substantially forwardly of the outer face 26 so that the glass panels are substantially recessed with respect to the outermost edge of the hollow section 42.

The trim strip 16 thus gives the outer frame ofthe closure a massive appearance. The louter surface of the trim strip is suitably finished, such as with a chrome ornickel plating, or it may be anodized or enameled if desired. In addition, the outer face 26 of the closure frame 12 which is not concealed by the trim `strip 16 is suitably finished with a plated or anodized surface so as to give the same a finished surface.

While I have illustrated three different trim strips 16 in FIGURES 3, 6 and 7, I contemplate that other shapes of trim strips may be employed. Preferably the trim strips all include a hollow ysection which covers at least part of the outer face 26 of the frame 12 so as to give the closure a massive appearance and to recess the glass panels 11. The trim strips 16 in addition cooperate with the closure frame 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 3 so as to anchor the gasket 50 therebetween, an integral flange 52 of the gasket being clamped between the outer periphery of the frame 12 and the inner surface of the trim strip 16. This arrangement provides a thermal break between the frame 12 and the trim strip 16 and thus serves to provide a less yefficient path for the escape of heat from the oven through the closure frame 12. The trim strip 16 thus will not be heated to as high a degree as the framel 12 and serves to some extent as a shield therefor. The trim strip 16, inasmuch as it is riveted to the frame 12, serves to stiften the same. The hinge pins 38 provide a pivotal mounting or connection for hinge arms 60 which support the closure for swinging movement between its closed and open positions.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is understood that these are capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall Within the purview of the following claim.

I claim:

A rectangular closure for an oven comprising spaced window panels, a continuous clamping frame fitted around the periphery rof said panels, a sheet metal outer closure frame of channel-shaped cross section fitted and secured around the periphery of said clamping frame with the open side of the channel facing inwardly and with said clamping frame nested within said closure frame, a trim strip overlying and fitted around the peripheral edge of said closure frame and having an outwardly extending hollow section overlapping the outer exposed face of said closure frame, and a sealing gasket of generally L-shaped cross section seated on the corner between t-he peripheral edge of said closure frame and the inner exposed face thereof and having a ange portion forming lone leg of the L secured between the outer periphery of said closure frame and the inner portion of said trim strip and a sealing bead forming the other leg of said L overlapping the inner face of said closure frame so as to provide a seal between the closure and the oven when the closure is in its closed position, the exposed portions of said closure frame having a nished surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,127,890 4/1964 Mills 126-200 3,157,175 11/1964 Pearce et al. 126-200 i 3,157,176 11/1964 Pearce et al. 126-200 KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Assistant Examiner. 

